Au Pair of the Year Nominee:
Daiana - Brazil
We knew that Di was a one of a kind au pair even before she arrived at our house. Our local au pair coordinator told us that she stood out as the best au pair in the orientation class because she was so helpful to everyone. Once she arrived at our house, she easily assimilated into the family. Her proficiency of English was outstanding.
Our son has life-threatening food allergies so once Di arrived, it was imperative that she learn quickly about the serious requirements to keep him safe. She had to learn about his special diet (all foods prepared from scratch-no macaroni and cheese out of the box). She had to learn how to identify safe/dangerous foods. Most importantly, she had to learn how to administer an epinephrine shot in case of an emergency. She knew about his serious allergies before she came but we were uncertain if she would be comfortable with necessities accompanying his condition. She did not hesitate once to learn about them and has consistently showed a grave concern for his safety. She calls anytime she has a question about a food which has instilled in us a high level of confidence in her ability. I do not know of too many people who are willing to take on this level of responsibility.
Di has become an integral part of our family. Her care for our children is seen every morning when the children ask, "When is Di coming to play with us?" She has obtained a library card from the local library and is routinely borrowing books on child development. It is a joy to know that she is proactively learning about how these children are growing so she can facilitate their learning and achieving important milestones. Also, there are times during the weekend when she calls just to see how the children are doing. She'll say, "I was thinking about them and missed them." These are just a few illustrations of how she cares for our children.
Her dedication to our family is never ending. There have been a couple of times when our younger son was hospitalized and Di willingly jumped in to help us out. Not only did she care for our daughter, Di transported our daughter and family members back and forth to the hospital. Her focus during this time was the welfare of our family.
We always joke that with all of the food allergies, epi-pens, nebulizers, doctors, hospitals and many other things, we're surprised that Di wanted to extend with us for a second year. But her decision to stay is a testimonial for her love and dedication to our family. We love her as a daughter and think she is the ideal embodiment of what an au pair should be.
